One of the more time consuming chores facing a pool owner is vacuuming a pool. Most below ground pools are provided with surface skimmers which remove a significant portion of leaves and debris that float on the surface of the water in the pool. Unfortunately, any debris which sinks to the bottom of the pool must be removed by some form of vacuuming operation.
To aid the pool owner in carrying out this task, a number of automatic devices have been developed for vacuuming the pool. One such device is marketed by Aquanaut, Inc., under the trademark Pool Vac. Other such automatic devices are manufactured under the trademarks Kreepy Krauly and Baracuda. All of these automatic devices are powered by a vacuum source, supplied through a vacuum hose. When these devices were first introduced, the vacuum hose was typically connected to the inlet within the skimmer. The drawback to this arrangement is that the skimmer is then disabled and surface debris is not collected.
Recognizing this problem, pool builders are now installing separate vacuum orifices into the side walls of the pools. These orifices are specifically designed to receive the end of the vacuum hose from the cleaner. The orifice, which is located below the water level, is in communication with the filter pump which creates a vacuum sufficient to power the pool cleaner.
When the pool cleaner is not in use, and the vacuum hose is disconnected from the orifice, the suction to the orifice can be sealed off by a valve. Disabling the exposed orifice is extremely important for safety reasons. In a typical system, the suction at the orifice can be up to 15 pounds per square inch. This suction is strong enough to hold the hand of a small child who might have playfully covered the orifice. Long hair can also be easily sucked into the orifice, trapping a swimmer below the water. In either case, the potential for drowning exists. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a safety backup in case the pool owner forgets to shut off the valve.
The safety problems discussed above can also be encountered when the suction hose becomes inadvertently dislodged from the vacuum orifice. When turning of a suction pump, compressed air in the filter system can create a backward surge of water that is sufficient to dislodge the hose and expose the orifice. Of course, the hose could also be inadvertently dislodged from the orifice by a swimmer. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a mechanism which inhibits the inadvertent release of the hose from the vacuum orifice.
Accordingly, it is an object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved safety fitting for covering the vacuum orifice of the swimming pool.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved safety fitting for covering the vacuum orifice of a swimming pool which includes a locking mechanism to prevent the improper opening of the fitting.
It is a further object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved fitting for covering the vacuum orifice which includes a spring means for snapping a cap back into the locked position after the vacuum hose is removed.
It is still a further object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved fitting for covering a vacuum orifice wherein the locking mechanism can not be opened when the suction pump is operating.
It is still another object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved fitting for covering a vacuum orifice wherein the locking mechanism is extremely difficult to open without a separate tool even when the suction pump is not operating.
It is still a further object of the subject invention to provide a new and improved fitting for covering a vacuum orifice which includes a safety lug for holding a vacuum hose in the fitting during a reverse surge of water from the pump.